Shakur Stevenson made it sound straightforward and look even simpler.
He dominated Teofimo Lopez to win a title in a fourth weight class, taking a unanimous choice Saturday night time at Madison Sq. Backyard to seize the WBO junior welterweight belt.
“That is the artwork of boxing,” Stevenson mentioned. “Hit, don’t get hit and decide guys aside.”
Stevenson (25-0) could have mastered that mixture in addition to anybody in boxing proper now.
The unbeaten southpaw was in management the entire method, hardly getting hit within the early rounds and opening a lower over Lopez’s left eye later within the bout. All three judges scored the battle 119-109, giving only one spherical to Lopez.
“I picked him aside, I did what I used to be imagined to do,” Stevenson mentioned.
Lopez (22-2) tried to press the motion, however too usually all that completed was leaving himself open to Stevenson’s counter punches.
The present WBC light-weight champion added the 140-pound belt that Lopez held and might be robust to beat irrespective of which weight class he opts to stay in. Stevenson traded phrases within the ring afterward with Conor Benn, the British fighter who has largely fought as a welterweight.
Turki Alalshikh, whose Ring Journal promoted the occasion, tweeted that the attendance of 21,324 was a file for a boxing occasion on the present Madison Sq. Backyard, opened in 1968. The group that roared for each native fighters within the minutes earlier than the bout didn’t have many probabilities to get loud as soon as it started. It was clear early that Stevenson’s model, efficient however not particularly thrilling, was going to regulate the battle.
Unable to match what could be Stevenson’s best-in-boxing foot velocity, Lopez was usually compelled to lunge ahead in hopes of connecting, placing himself in danger for pictures that got here again quicker and even most instances tougher. The world round his left eye was pink by the eighth spherical and blood streamed down his face after a lower opened within the tenth.
Lopez had little clarification for why the battle went so poorly for him.
“I may say plenty of issues. Nonetheless going to be the flawed factor,” he mentioned.
Stevenson entered the ring and reunited with Terence Crawford, the retired multidivision champion who’s an adviser to the Newark, New Jersey, fighter.
There was then a prolonged wait earlier than Lopez’s ring stroll changed into a dance efficiency, as he was joined by the Jabbawockeez.
Lopez saved up with them higher than with Stevenson.
The Brooklyn product got here aggressively out of his nook when the battle started, however Stevenson was principally in a position to maintain him from getting shut sufficient to land a lot and shortly started to search out openings to attain with lefts. He knocked Lopez off stability with considered one of them within the fourth spherical, caught him proper on the chin with a few proper jabs within the sixth, and by then it was changing into not a query if Lopez would win the battle but when he would even win a spherical.
Stevenson was higher than a 3-to-1 favourite based on BetMGM Sportsbook, however two of Lopez’s best performances had come because the underdog in title fights. The primary got here when he beat Vasiliy Lomachenko in a 135-pound bout in 2020, and he knocked off former undisputed 140-pound champion Josh Taylor in 2023.
However Stevenson could be in a unique class than even these greats. He additionally has held belts at featherweight and tremendous featherweight along with his prime defensive expertise and simply as a lot offense as he wants. He mentioned he not solely felt quicker than Lopez, however surprisingly additionally stronger.
It was a great night time for Brooklyn boxers earlier within the occasion.
Bruce “Shu Shu” Carrington (17-0, 10 KOs) received the WBC featherweight title by knocking out Carlos Castro within the ninth spherical. Heavyweight Jarrell Miller overcame a mid-fight hair misfunction to edge Kingsley Ibeh by cut up choice and enhance to 27-1.
Additionally, former light-weight champion Keyshawn Davis (14-0, 10 KOs) made a formidable transfer as much as 140 kilos, knocking Jamaine Ortiz down twice and stopping him within the twelfth spherical. Davis then indicated he needs to maneuver up once more to face welterweight champion Devin Haney.
